English Learners

This graph shows the percentage of students in Illinois schools who are eligible for bilingual education. By selecting “Show 5-year trend,” you can see changes in the student population over time.

According to Illinois’ current regulations, English learners (ELs) are students whose English proficiency is not yet sufficient to provide the students with the ability to successfully participate and achieve in classroom settings where the language of instruction is English. ELs are eligible for Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) or Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) services and any other appropriate language supports.

Schools must provide additional services for ELs, to ensure that they meet the State's proficient level of achievement on State assessments, successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English, and participate fully in the school setting. The implementation of appropriate EL programs (as those described in Illinois’ legislation) and any other language support services help English learners to succeed academically.